Clinton team hits report of Trump aide’s ties to Russia
NEW YORK — Hillary Clinton’s campaign is questioning Donald Trump’s top political aide’s ties to a pro-Kremlin political party in Ukraine, claiming it is evidence of the Republican nominee’s cozy relationship with Russia.
The New York Times reported that handwritten ledgers found in Ukraine show $12.7 million in undisclosed payments to Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign manager, from the pro-Russia party founded by the country’s former president Viktor Yanukovych. Investigators are probing whether the money was part of an illegal off-the-book system that may have also made payments to election officials, according to the Times in a story published Sunday night.
“Given the pro-Putin policy stances adopted by Donald Trump and the recent Russian government hacking and disclosure of Democratic Party records,” Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said in statement, “Donald Trump has a responsibility to disclose campaign chair Paul Manafort’s and all other campaign employees’ and advisers’ ties to Russian or pro-Kremlin entities, including whether any of Trump’s employees or advisers are currently representing and or being paid by them.”
The campaign stepped up criticism Monday by suggesting that Manafort pushed for pro-Russia changes to the Republican Party platform and by suggesting that several Trump advisers have links to Moscow.